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What to Prepare Before a Website Redesign

A website redesign is easier to manage when the important decisions are made before the first layout. Use this checklist to prepare a useful brief and avoid discovering missing information halfway through the build.

01

Agree what needs to change

Write down the problems with the current website. Visitors may struggle to understand your offer, find the right service or use the contact form. Your own team may find editing difficult. Separate these practical issues from visual preferences, then choose the outcomes that matter most.

02

Inventory your existing content

List the pages, articles, images and downloads you already have. Mark what should stay, what needs rewriting and what is no longer useful. Include any useful content hidden in sales documents or repeated client questions. This becomes the starting point for the new structure.

03

Identify important URLs

Record existing URLs before changing them. If a page moves, the project needs a decision about the closest relevant replacement. Keep useful URLs where possible and discuss redirects as part of the launch plan. Avoid leaving this until the old website is no longer accessible.

04

Collect assets and access

Prepare your logo files, brand guidance, original photographs and approved project examples. Keep account access organized for the people doing the work. The domain, hosting, website platform and any required integrations should have clear ownership. Share access through the appropriate account tools rather than placing passwords in the project brief.

05

Name the decision makers

Choose who can approve structure, copy and design. Gather feedback in one place and distinguish required changes from suggestions. A clear review process helps the team resolve conflicting requests before they affect later work.

06

Define the handover

Decide who will edit the new website and which areas they need to manage. Ask for the relevant editing guidance and confirm what ongoing support includes. The redesign should end with an operational website, not an unexplained collection of pages.

07

Turn the checklist into a brief

Bring your goals, page list, assets, features and deadline into a short project document. If some details are uncertain, identify them clearly. Atomic Web can help turn that brief into a scoped website design and development project.

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